Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 20: Land grabbing and misuse of Roshni scheme to benefit only influential dominated the discussion on demands for grants of the Relief and Revenue as well as Law and Parliamentary Affairs Departments even as members of the Legislative Assembly also highlighted other issues, including settlement of refugees, Kashmir migrants and new administrative units etc.
Lambasting the Government for its failure to retrieve the encroached State lands from un-authorized occupants, Leader of Panthers Legislature Party, Harshdev Singh said that the State Government was trying to favour certain influential persons and top politicians. “Land measuring 20 lakh kanals is under illegal occupation of mafia but the Government has failed to act with several Revenue officers colliding in the process,” he alleged, adding that the Roshni Scheme had favoured only the land mafia and encroachers.
“Against the target of Rs 25,000 crore proposed to be generated under the Roshni Scheme, the Revenue Department could raise only Rs 67 crore,” he said and opposed any further extension in the deadline for filing of fresh applications under Roshni Scheme.
He strongly advocated for ownership rights to the allottees of Evacuees property, which was in their possession for the last several decades. “With Resettlement Act also having been stayed by the Supreme Court, these people are required to be granted ownership rights in respect of housing properties and land held by them,” he said.
Supporting the cause of PoK and Pak refugees, he sought early fulfillment of the assurances held out to them and provision of relief and rehabilitation measures as agreed upon. He urged for identical treatment to migrates of Jammu region including Doda Migrants and Talwara migrants as was given to Kashmir migrants. Over the issue of new administrative units, Harshdev alleged that the Government not followed any fixed norms or criteria.
Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami demanded a high level commission to go into the whole nitty gritty details about the implementation of the much talked Roshni Act in the state saying that only big sharks like bureaucrats, politicians and moneyed persons have been benefited by the scheme.
“Instead of providing envisaged light and hope, the Roshni Scheme has brought poor people like slum dwellers in the whirlwind of darkness and despair. It has proved a big fraud with the deserving people,” he said.
Tarigami took the Government to task for setting up of various administrative units in different parts of the State at whim, adding that no criteria has been kept in view during this exercise.
He also appealed the media to cover the proceedings of the House objectively and not encourage noise makers who only want to high light their presence in the press. “Department of Law and Parliamentary Affairs should take every possible measure to uphold sanctity of the House,” he said.
Ashok Khajuria highlighted the plights of Ex-legislators and urged for enhancement of their pension and medical allowance etc. Pointing towards the shortcomings in Revenue Department, he appealed the Minister to ensure end of `Patwari Raj’ and Lattha system for streamlining the land record management.
Ashwani Sharma of JSM raised the issue of refugees and sought to know the fate of Wadhwa Committee recommendation, which have not been implemented even after years. He also alleged delay in disbursement of relief to the hailstorm and rain hit people in his constituency.
The MLA also demanded Sub-Divisional status to Bishnah and said that the Government should set a time frame to make the new administrative units functional.
Prof Chaman Lal demanded settlement of West Pakistan refugees and rationalizing of constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sharief Niaz highlighted some local issues and demanded more administrative units in his constituency.
Ashraf Ganai, Rafi Mir of PDP, Aijaz Jaan of NC, Ashok Kumar of Congress, Prof Gharu Ram Bhagat of BJP, Choudhary Zulfikar of PDP, Er Rashid, Charanjeet Singh, Bimla Luthra, Indu Pawar, Shamima Firdous, Zahoor Ahmed Mir, T Namgyal and Javed Mustafa Mir also participated in the discussion.
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